Halo vs Publican
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted blogging platforms options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Halo
Powerful and easy-to-use open-source website builder
VS
Publican
Lightweight JavaScript static site and blog generator
| Feature | Halo | Publican |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Blogging Platforms | Blogging Platforms |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,485 | ★ 20 |
| First released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Medium | Jekyll, Hugo |
Why pick each one
Choose Publican if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Halo or Publican better?
Neither is universally better. Halo has the larger community, while Publican is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Halo and Publican free and open-source?
Yes. Halo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Publican under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Halo and Publican with Docker?
Halo: yes. Publican: check the project docs for container support.